Government rules out resignation of law minister

Apr 26, 2013 |

New Delhi

Unfazed by the Opposition’s demand, the government today ruled out the resignation of law minister Ashwani Kumar who said that he has done “no wrong” in the matter concerning CBI’s report to the Supreme Court on the coal scam.

“I have done no wrong. Truth will prevail,” Kumar said after a meeting of UPA chaired by Sonia Gandhi and attended by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. Kumar, whose sacking is being demanded by the Opposition parties, also met the Prime Minister to give his version on the issue. He also met Parliamentary affairs minister Kamal Nath separately.

“There is no question of his resignation. He is not going to resign,” Nath told reporters here after the meeting when asked whether Kumar had offered to resign.

With regard to the CBI affidavit, he said, “It is for the court to decide.” Sources close to Kumar said he can’t be “faulted” as it is in CBI’s remit to consult the law minister on documents having legal ramification. They also said that since Kumar is not the executive authority controlling CBI, the agency is free not to share any detail which it does not want to. They also indicated that a meeting with CBI did not mean the CBI report was altered. Suggesting that there was no wrongdoing by Kumar, Nath said CBI has stated that only the draft report was shown to the minister and not the final report.

To a question why the officials of PMO and the coal ministry were also present during the CBI meeting with the law minister, he said the contents of the report were to be provided by the coal ministry and the Prime Minister had held the coal portfolio for some time.

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